Sunapee Sound Project Logo

Sunapee Sound Project

"Where the Harbor Finds Its Voice"
A living cultural hub uniting food, music, art, and community — built from the ground up by the people of Sunapee

Our Mission

The Challenge:

Sunapee Harbor is alive with creative energy — multiple venues, passionate organizers, talented performers. But without coordination, we're competing instead of collaborating. Events clash. Audiences get split. The community's voice gets scattered.

The Solution:

The Sunapee Sound Project exists to bring everyone together — to create a shared calendar, coordinate efforts, and build a permanent performance space that serves the entire community. When we work together, every event succeeds. Every voice is heard. Every Friday night matters.

Core Vision:

A permanent lakeside performance space that doubles as a philanthropic engine — where coordinated events generate community reinvestment through music, culinary art, and local creativity. One calendar. One community. Unlimited possibilities.

🎵 Music Around the Harbor

Discover all the music happening across Sunapee! This calendar brings together events from Project Sunapee, our weekly Open Mic nights, and all the amazing performances throughout our community.

📅 One calendar. Multiple venues. Unlimited music.

🎵 All Events
🎸 Live Music
🎤 Concerts
☕ Coffeehouse
⚓ Harbor Events

📅 Events powered by Project Sunapee • Visit their full calendar for all community happenings

Have a music event to add? Submit it to Project Sunapee

🎤 What's Happening Now

FIRST OPEN MIC NIGHT!

Friday, November 7th, 2025

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM @ Hoptimystic's Tasting Room, Sunapee Harbor

This is where it all begins! After a hugely successful Halloween event, we're kicking off regular weekly programming. Come celebrate the launch of the Sunapee Sound Project — bring your voice, your instrument, or just your energy.

Every Friday going forward: Open Mic & Karaoke, 6-9 PM. This is just the start of something bigger.

✨ Be part of the spark that lights up Sunapee Harbor ✨

🌍 Beyond Sunapee Harbor

We're Not Just Building for Sunapee

We're filling a massive gap in the regional music scene — and creating THE destination for live music in central New Hampshire and Vermont.

📍 The Gap: No Consistent Music Scene for 160 Miles

🏙️
Concord, NH
41 miles south
🎸
SUNAPEE SOUND
The Hub
🏔️
Burlington, VT
120 miles north

Here's the reality: Yes, Lebanon has an opera house. Claremont hosts summer concerts. Newport has occasional events. But here's what's missing: consistency, coordination, and a permanent year-round venue. Between Concord and Burlington — a 160-mile stretch — there's no place you can go every week knowing there will be live music. No permanent outdoor stage. No coordinated calendar so events don't clash. No reliable destination for artists and audiences.

The opportunity is massive: We're not saying there's zero music — we're saying there's no scene. No hub. No consistent weekly programming that brings the region together. That's what we're building. When you want live music in central NH/VT, there will finally be one answer: Sunapee Sound, every Friday night, rain or shine, year-round.

🎯 Who We Serve Beyond Sunapee

New London (5 mi)
Newport (8 mi)
Claremont (15 mi)
Lebanon (20 mi)
Hanover (25 mi)
Woodstock, VT (30 mi)
Lake Sunapee Region (0-15 mi)
Upper Valley (10-30 mi)

Combined population reach: Over 150,000 people within a 30-minute drive

🚀 From Scattered Events to a Real Scene

There's a big difference between occasional music and a music scene. Occasional = summer outdoor concerts. A scene = year-round, weekly, reliable programming that becomes the cultural heartbeat of a region. We're not just adding another event to the calendar — we're creating the hub that brings it all together.

This is our moment. This is how we become the answer to "where's the music tonight?"

🎸 Sign Up to Perform

Reserve Your Slot

Each performer gets a 15-minute slot. Sign up is available Wednesday through Friday for the upcoming Friday's open mic.

This Week's Lineup

Every Friday starting November 7th, 2025 @ Hoptimystic's Tasting Room

6:00 PM - 6:15 PM ✓ AVAILABLE
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8:15 PM - 8:30 PM ✓ AVAILABLE
8:30 PM - 8:45 PM ✓ AVAILABLE
8:45 PM - 9:00 PM ✓ AVAILABLE

📋 Reserve List

No one on the reserve list yet

Stay in the Loop

Get weekly updates about upcoming events, performer lineups, and Sunapee Sound Project news

🎙️ Hear the Story

Listen to this AI-generated podcast about the Sunapee Sound Project movement - created using our website content

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Strategic Phases

✓

The Foundation — COMPLETE (Fall 2025)

Goal: Prepare the gear and activate community engagement.

  • ✅ Acquired professional PA system
  • ✅ Successfully tested at Halloween event — huge community turnout!
  • ✅ Built relationships with Hoptimystic Brewing, Fenton's Landing, and local partners
  • ✅ Secured domain: sunapeesound.org
  • ✅ Community momentum is building
1

"The Spark" — HAPPENING NOW (November 2025 - Spring 2026)

Goal: Demonstrate the power of collaboration through consistent events.

  • 🎤 FIRST OPEN MIC: Friday, November 7th, 2025 @ Hoptimystic's Tasting Room
  • Establish weekly Open Mic & Karaoke every Friday 6-9pm
  • Build momentum through consistent, high-quality events
  • Create a shared community calendar so events complement rather than compete
  • Bring together existing venues and organizers under one collaborative umbrella
  • Collect attendee signatures, footage, and testimonials for town support
  • Establish donation streams for "Build the Stage Fund"
  • Promote via posters, social media, and word-of-mouth ("Together, We're Stronger")
When we stop competing for the same audience and start building together, everyone wins. The momentum is already here — we just need to unite it.
2

Modular Stage Build (Spring–Summer 2026)

Goal: Construct a legal, modular, low-impact stage.

  • Partner with the volunteer architect to design a stage that is:
    • Portable or semi-permanent (no concrete foundation)
    • Engineered for safety and ADA compliance
    • Expandable into a permanent structure once permits are secured
  • Install base decking and simple canopy
  • File for temporary structure permit (local & state)
  • Use documented success from Phase 1 events to support permit applications
3

Full Riverway Venue (2027–2028)

Goal: Establish a landmark performance space.

  • Secure long-term permits and environmental approval
  • Add lighting, acoustic panels, green storage, and sustainable power (solar)
  • Integrate with the Fenton's Landing / Hoptimystic ecosystem for food & beverage service
  • Expand programming: concerts, community dinners, film nights, charity events

The Power of Coordination

The Problem We're Solving:

Right now, Sunapee Harbor's music and events scene is fragmented. Multiple organizers. Multiple venues. No shared calendar. Events clash on the same nights, splitting audiences and creating competition where there should be collaboration.

The Solution — Together:

📅 Shared Calendar

One master calendar ensures events complement each other, not compete

🤝 Cross-Promotion

When we promote each other's events, everyone's audience grows

🎯 Shared Resources

Pool equipment, volunteers, and expertise to make every event better

🎪 Permanent Stage

Build common infrastructure that serves the entire community year-round

Current Events in the Ecosystem:

Open Mic at Hoptimystic

IT'S HAPPENING! Open Mic & Karaoke kicks off November 7th, then every Friday 6-9pm at Hoptimystic's Tasting Room

The Philanthropic Engine

Each event helps fund community causes:

  • Revenue Split: A percentage of food and beverage sales goes to the Sunapee Sound Fund
  • Local Impact: Proceeds support youth arts, environmental restoration, and family aid
  • Transparency: Every quarter, funds are published publicly — "The Sound That Gives Back"

Our Collaborative Ecosystem

The Sunapee Sound Project brings together local businesses, venues, and creative leaders who share a common vision: a thriving, coordinated arts scene that lifts everyone up.

Partner Role in the Ecosystem
Hoptimystic Brewing Primary venue host, beverage partner, and home to weekly Open Mic & Karaoke events
Fenton's Landing Culinary excellence and event catering — bringing the best local food to every gathering
Project Sunapee Community calendar coordination, event promotion, and connecting the broader Sunapee community
Prospect Hill Antiques Community partner supporting local culture and historic preservation
Deb (GM) Operations coordination and regulatory compliance
Volunteer Architect Stage design, permitting strategy, and sustainable infrastructure planning
Local Musicians & Artists The heart of every performance — bringing their talent to the community
Community Volunteers Setup, logistics, promotion, and grassroots organizing

Our Programs

✨

The Spark Sessions

Pop-up live events that ignite the community spirit

🌊

Harbor Harmony Nights

Full-stage productions celebrating local talent

❤️

Sound Gives Back

Charity drives and fundraisers for our community

Long-Term Vision (5-Year Plan)

501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Tax-deductible donations for sustained growth

Annual Festival

Sunapee Sound Festival as a major fundraiser

Youth Workshops

Partner with schools for music education

Multimedia Expansion

Livestreams, podcasts, and artist showcases

Why It Matters

Sunapee Harbor already has everything it needs: talented performers, dedicated venue owners, passionate organizers, and a community that loves to gather. What we've been missing is coordination.

When events compete for the same night, everyone loses. When we work together — sharing calendars, promoting each other, building common infrastructure — everyone thrives.

The Sunapee Sound Project is the glue that binds us. A shared stage. A common purpose. A united voice. This is how a scattered scene becomes a movement.